How to update the game on the Xiaomi phone: 5 proven ways

Updating games on Xiaomi smartphones is a procedure that seems simple only at first glance.In practice, users face loading errors, memory shortages, version conflicts or โ€œhangโ€ updates in Google Play. Especially a problem for owners of budget models (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5) and devices with custom firmware, where standard methods often do not work.

In this guide, we will analyze not only the basic methods (automation through the app store), but also alternative methods: manual installation of.apk files, use of the app store. MIUI Game Turbo to optimize performance after an update, as well as solving common errors like 924 or 495. APK Viruses and Why You Shouldn't Download Games From Doubtful Websites.

If your game is stuck in the boot phase, it has a compatibility error, or it starts to slow down after the update, you will find step-by-step solutions here, and for those who want to save traffic or data, we will tell you how to turn off automatic game updates over the mobile Internet.

Update via Google Play: The Basic Method

The most common way is to use the official Google Play Store, which is suitable for 90% of games and guarantees security, because all the games are not in the game. APK-But even here, there are nuances, from the speed of the Internet to the settings of the account.

To update the game:

  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ Open Google Play and tap the profile icon in the upper right corner.
  • โš™๏ธ Select Application and Device Management โ†’ tab Updates available.
  • ๐Ÿ” Find the game you want in the list and click Update. For a mass update, use the Update All button.
  • ๐Ÿ“ฅ On Xiaomi 13 and newer models, the process can take up to 10 minutes due to optimization. MIUI.

Important: If the game doesn't appear on the update list, check if the auto-update is manually disabled. โ†’ โ‹ฎ โ†’ uncheck the box with Auto Update disabled.

๐Ÿ“Š How often do you update your games on your phone?
Every day.
Once a week.
Only in critical errors
Never update.

On devices with MIUI 14+, the Smart Update feature can trigger, which pauses booting when the battery is low (less than 20%) or the Wi-Fi signal is weak.

  1. Go to Settings โ†’ Applications โ†’ Application Management.
  2. Find the Google Play Store and select Battery โ†’
  3. Go back and tap the Mobile Data โ†’ Allow background transmission.

2.Manual update via APK: When the Play Market doesn't work

If the game is not updated via Google Play (for example, due to regional restrictions or error 924), you can install the new version manually.This method requires caution: download APK only from trusted sources, such as APKMirror or the official developer site.

Step-by-step:

  • ๐Ÿ” Find the latest version of the game on a trusted website (check compatibility with your Xiaomi model).
  • โฌ‡๏ธ Download the.apk file. On Redmi with MIUI 13 and below may require permission to install from unknown sources:
Settings โ†’ Applications โ†’ Application Management โ†’ Browser (or File Manager) โ†’ Allow installation from this source
  • ๐Ÿ“‚ Open the downloaded file through the File Manager or notification in the curtain.
  • ๐Ÿ”„ Click Set and wait until it's finished. INSTALL_FAILED_VERSION_DOWNGRADE, First, remove the old version of the game.
What to do if the APK is not installed?
If a Parsing Error occurs when installing an APK, it means that the file is corrupted or not designed for your CPU architecture (ARM/x86). Solution: 1. Download the APK again (possibly the file didn't get full). 2. Check the bitiness of your Xiaomi: in Settings โ†’ About Phone โ†’ MIUI version (models on Snapdragon usually support ARM, on MediaTek - ARM64). 3. If the game requires Google Play Services, update them via Google Play before installing the APK.

Security warning: Never download APKs from sites like apkpure.com or blackmod.net, which often distribute modified malware files. Before installing, check the hash file through services like VirusTotal.

Download APK from an official source only|Check out the Android version (minimum game support)|Allow installation from unknown sources|Remove the old version of the game (if required)|File virus check-->

3. Update via MIUI Game Turbo: Optimization after the update

MIUI Game Turbo is Xiaomiโ€™s proprietary technology that not only speeds up games, but also helps manage their updates. After an update to the game via Google Play or APK, it is recommended to run optimization in Game Turbo to avoid lags.

How to do this:

  1. Open Settings โ†’ Special Features โ†’ Game Turbo (on MIUI 14, the path may differ: Settings โ†’ Additional โ†’ Optimization of games).
  2. Add the updated game to the list (tap + and select it from the menu).
  3. Activate modes: ๐ŸŽฎ Productivity โ€“ for maximum FPS. ๐Ÿ“ถ Network is a priority for traffic for the game. ๐Ÿ”‹ Battery โ€“ Disables background processes.

Restart the game.

On the POCO F5 and Xiaomi 13 Pro models, the Game Turbo has an option to Update GPU drivers. Activation of this option can increase FPS in games like Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile by 10-15%.

๐Ÿ’ก

If the game is warming up after the update, in Game Turbo, turn on the option of cooling CPU (available on Xiaomi flagships with liquid cooling).

4. Solving errors when updating games

Even with official methods, Xiaomi users are faced with errors, and consider the most common and ways to fix them:

Error codeReason.Decision
924Google Play Cache Conflict or Memory LackClear the cache: Settings โ†’ Apps โ†’ Google Play Store โ†’ Memory โ†’ Clear the cache. Delete the Google Play Services data (similar path). Reboot the phone.
495Download error due to weak internet or VPNTurn off the VPN. Switch from mobile data to Wi-Fi. Check the date and time on the phone (should match the real ones).
INSTALL_FAILED_INSUFFICIENT_STORAGELack of space on the deviceFree up 1-2 GB of memory. On Xiaomi with MIUI, use Settings โ†’ Memory โ†’ Cleanup (Deep Cleanup removes unnecessary game files).
504Google Play server is not availableWait 1-2 hours or try: Delete your Google account and add again. Reset your network settings: Settings โ†’ SIM-maps and mobile networks โ†’ Resetting network settings.

A specific problem for Xiaomi: some firmware (MIUI 12.5 and below) may display a โ€œCertificate Errorโ€ notification when updating games via Google Play, due to a conflict between Mi Account and Google.

  1. Go to Settings โ†’ Accounts โ†’ Mi Account.
  2. Turn off the option of Synchronizing application data.
  3. Restart your phone and repeat the update.

5. Update games without Google Play: alternative stores

If Google Play is blocked in your area or the game is not available in it (for example, Genshin Impact in some countries), you can use alternative stores:

  • ๐ŸŒ APKPure - catalogue APK Virus-checking, supports updates through the built-in installer.
  • ๐Ÿ“ฆ Amazon Appstore โ€“ Official Store for Fire Devices OS, It also works on Xiaomi (installation required). APK).
  • ๐ŸŽฎ TapTap is a dedicated store for gamers with exclusive versions of games (for example, Honkai: Star Rail).
  • ๐Ÿ”„ Samsung Galaxy Store โ€“ Despite the name, some of the APK Compatible with Xiaomi (but there may be installation errors).

For the installation of shops:

  1. Download APK from the official website (for example, APKPure).
  2. Allow installation from unknown sources (see section 2).
  3. Set up a shop and log in.
  4. Find the game and update it through the interface of the alternative store.

โš ๏ธ Note: When using Amazon Appstore on Xiaomi, you may need to disable MIUI Optimization in the Developer Settings (Settings) โ†’ The phone. โ†’ Version. MIUI โ†’ 5 times tap the version โ†’ For developers โ†’ Turn off optimization MIUI). Without this, the games may not be launched.

6.Playing Games Optimization After Updating

Updating the game doesnโ€™t always guarantee better performance. On Xiaomi with Snapdragon 7xx or MediaTek Helio processors, new versions may start to slow down due to increased requirements.

  • โšก Enable Game Turbo (see Section 3) and activate Performance Mode.
  • ๐Ÿ—‘๏ธ Clear the game's cache: Settings โ†’ Annexes โ†’ [Name of game] โ†’ Memory. โ†’ Clear the cache.
  • ๐Ÿ”ง Lower the graphical settings in the game itself (e.g. in the game). PUBG Mobile, select Smooth + Medium instead of Medium HDR + Ultra).
  • ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Update the drivers GPU through settings โ†’ The phone. โ†’ Updating the system โ†’ Drivers (not available on all models).

On devices with MIUI 14 and Android 13, there is a hidden feature called Game Mode, which turns off notifications and background processes during the game.

Settings โ†’ Notifications โ†’ โ€œDo Not Disturbโ€ โ†’ Rules โ†’ Add a rule โ†’ Game

For POCO and Black Shark owners, these ranges include LiquidCool Technology, a cooling system that automatically activates when games are launched.

  1. If the temperature is above 45ยฐC, activate the cooling mode in the Game Turbo.

7.How to disable automatic game updates

Auto-update is convenient, but can consume traffic and battery power, to control the process:

For a separate game:

  1. Open Google Play and find the game.

For all games:

  1. Go to Google Play โ†’ Profile โ†’ Settings โ†’ Network settings.
  2. Select Auto-Update Applications โ†’ Do not update automatically.
  3. To save traffic, select only via Wi-Fi.

Xiaomi with MIUI has an additional setting limiting Google Play background activity:

Settings โ†’ Applications โ†’ Application Management โ†’ Google Play Store โ†’ Battery โ†’ Limit background activity

โš ๏ธ Note: If you turn off auto-update for MMORPG (For example, Lineage 2: Revolution, the game can stop running after a critical patch is released.

FAQ: Frequent questions about updating games on Xiaomi

Can I update the game without losing progress?
Yes, if the game is linked to an account (Google Play Games, Facebook, server account). Before updating: Make sure progress is synced (go to the game settings). Back up via Settings โ†’ System โ†’ Backup (on MIUI this saves data of some games). If the game is offline (for example, Stardew Valley), copy the folder with saves (/Android/obb/[game name]) to the PC.
Why did the game stop after the update?
Reasons: The new version requires more resources (check the minimum requirements on the game's website); conflict with MIUI Optimization (turn it off in the developer settings); CPU overheating (use Game Turbo for cooling); Solution: lower the graphics settings in the game or roll back to the old version (download the APK of the previous update).
How to update the game if it is not displayed in Google Play?
Possible causes and solutions: ๐ŸŒ Regional restrictions: use the VPN (For example, ProtonVPN or alternative stores (TapTap, APKPure). ๐Ÿ“ต The device is not supported: download APK Manually (check compatibility with your Xiaomi model). ๐Ÿ”’ Account Restricted: Check your Family Control settings on Google Play.
Can I update the game through a computer?
Yes, in two ways: Through Google Play on PC: Open play.google.com in your browser. Select the game and click Update (the device must be linked to this account). Through ADB: adb shell pm update --install-existing [game package] First connect Xiaomi to the PC in debugging mode (Settings โ†’ For developers โ†’ USB debugging).
What if the update is stuck at 0% or 100%?
Algorithm: Reboot your phone. Clear the cache of Google Play and Google Play Services. Check the vacant space (need a minimum of 500 MB on the system partition). If it's stuck 100%: delete the game and reinstall it. MIUI Can help reset Google Play settings: Settings โ†’ Annexes โ†’ Google Play Store โ†’ โ‹ฎ โ†’ Reset the settings